Does Shalrie like it? I don't...

We feel the same way...

Today the New England Revolution traded it's captain and franchise player, Shalrie Joseph, to Chivas USA for 23 year old midfielder Blair Gavin, a second round draft pick (whoop-de-fucking-doo) and allocation money.

Ok Ok let's get some things straight... Shalrie, this season... well he's been less than stellar.  If you haven't noticed I don't know what rock you've been living under.  While his skills in the midfield were lacking this season he made some good appearances as a defender and I would have liked to see that experiment continue. One must question the effect that trading your teams captain mid-season must have on the locker room.  Shalrie is certainly not without his faults over the past few years (arrest, drugs) but form everything we gather he was a big influence on the locker room and on younger players. This is a big shake up for the team both on and off the field.  Who becomes captain now?  Reis? Benny? Simms?

I'm guessing that Reis probably doesn't have much more time here himself, not a good option gong forward for the long term.  Benny is not option, it still looks and seems as if he doesn't want to be here, that he has some issues with not being called into the USMNT that has been effecting his attitude.  Simms is experienced but is new to this team, as a fan I'd like to see a player become captain that has been here for a while and is in it for the long haul.

Subtext: Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out...

Ok so let's get to the nuts and bolts of this trade... Who the fuck is Blair Gavin? No offense to Mr. Gavin but this team just traded it's most well know player, a DP and it's captain, for a relatively no-name player... a draft pick (I still think it's a crap shoot and not all that valuable... no you won't change my mind) and the ever mysterious allocation money.  How much allocation money have we gotten out of this?  Will we ever use it? We also traded a player the could fill in if needed in our depth depleted back line for another midfielder. We have 5 actual defenders...  13 midfielders... let's work on some defensive depth eh? You hearing me Burnsie and Heaps?

Was this a case of buyers remorse?  I was honestly a little surprised to hear Shalrie get signed to a DP contract, but I thought maybe this was a reward to Shalrie from the Revs FO  for his years of service in what may have been his last season before retiring. Hey now Krafty Bob gets to spend less!!

Shalrie will forever be one of the best and most loved players this team has ever had but he is certainly past his prime and on his way out. I still think we got a shitty deal... I'm not saying we should have gotten another DP level player... but we could have done better than this... I mean come on... no-name, second round draft pick, and allllllllllllocation moooooooney! There better be something big in the works or this team just traded a fan favorite for nothing.  If this is it... I will hold it against them and so should everyone else. I really hope there is more to this... and by more I mean not hedging our bets on Bocanegra or Edu... they must know it's a sure shot... or this was a waste and a big 'fuck you' to Shalrie and the fans.




p.s.  and now a fantastic chant that same fantastically talented person came up with is out of play...

Is Sene 'The One'?

We here as well as the rest of New England have been constantly searching for that 'proven goalscorer 'and 'the one' who can replace what this team lost when Twellman's career was so unfortunately cut short.  This season it seems as if the hot new player for the Revolution is Lee Nguyen, and he's great don't get me wrong, but I think Sene is really the player everyone should be talking about.

The New Deal (and Jersey)

The New England Revolution have re-signed Shalrie Joseph, for a tenth MLS season with the Revs.  While length and terms are not available he has been signed as a Designated Player.

For us this was really the only reasonable option if Shalrie were to come back this season.  This move frees up extra cap space for next season, as well as clearing up allocation money that was needed to pay down his salary cap hit over the last few years.  This is a win-win situation for the everyone involved, the face of the franchise and a club legend is back, Shalrie gets a solid contract, and the club clears up room financially to bring in more and better players.  Some may complain about using a DP spot, but we can use up to three... and well does anyone expect the Revs to actually sign 3 DP caliber players this season (or any season for that matter)?

Don't Renew 'til You See The Whites Of Their Eyes....

Sigh... it's that time of year again.  The phone calls every week, the emails, the pretentious invoices that come in the mail.  Season ticket renewal crunch is here.

Why is it worth it? No one has been able to answer that question, no one can give me a good reason to renew my season tickets.

It used to be that Special Event ticket, excuse me tickets in years past, you knew you were going to get a friendly or two, some sort of international competition, US Open Cup, and/or playoffs. Well this is the second year of no playoffs so I won't be using it for that. We are in no position to qualify for any international competition. We regularly blow off the US Open Cup which would be helpful for getting into international competition, and the FO decided to fuck over its STH's on our friendly this year forcing people to fork out more money to see the match.  The ManU game would have had a solid showing of Revs supporters if they didn't screw that one up, but hey at least the few of us fools that did spend money on it got free parking... So why should I renew my tickets, because my unused special event ticket will be credited to next years?  I don't fucking think so.

Marko Perovic... You fucking morons.

Last year the hook was statements about signing one and quite possibly two Designated Players in the offseason.  That didn't happen, yes we finally did sign one halfway through the season, but he is hardly what we expected as a DP and is only a DP by a technicality... his transfer or loan fee or bribe to his agents... whatever it is... it's still fishy to us.  I won't call it an empty promise, but it was a half-assed promise to get people to renew.  We all knew we had a ton of cap space as well, and the Revs acted within their Standard Operating Procedure of signing aging/injury prone Europeans that otherwise were looking at retirement and didn't make it a whole season.  Yep they sure didn't do enough with that cap space...  Why should I renew?

Apparently we are at most 14 months away from breaking ground on a stadium. If you believe that I also have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.  Krafty Jon said in an interview last December that they hoped to be breaking ground in 12-24 months.  Well with the amount of time the permitting and approval process would take before a shovel would even hit the ground, the likelihood of this happening is zilch.  Now of course every ticket renewal crunch we start to hear rumors of stadium news and this year is no different, they've already started. The fact is there is no deal yet, and there is no hard evidence that there will be soon (Please Revs, make me eat crow on this).  Foxboro is killing this team, it sucks to go there, the stadium is too big and it perpetuates the feeling of being second class citizens... You aren't fooling me with empty promises to make me renew.

Fortgate... way to make me feel like a valued customer... You fucking morons (again).

You want me to renew? Fire Burns and let Nicol go.  It is obvious that they can not rebuild this squad or even field a competitive team.  It's no secret around here that we despise Mr. Burns, I don't know why they thought he had any qualifications to do this job but he doesn't, he's not good at it, just because he played the game doesn't mean he is going to be any good in an FO.  Nicol won't be fired, his contract is up at the end of the season, but I do not want to see it renewed.  I think Nicol is a great coach, and have always enjoyed speaking with him, I wish him the best of luck elsewhere but his time has run it's course here.  The team needs fresh blood and new ideas.  Many people want to see Bilello gone, I haven't touched on this that much.  If I can say one thing, personally I like that guy, professionally it's another story.  If he is one thing it's easy to read and see through, Fortgate proved that more than anything.  Listen, getting rid of him will do nothing unless there is a total philosophical and cultural change in the organization starting at Krafty Bob and working it's way all the way down.  A new COO will just be more of the same if there isn't that shift, Krafty Bob and Jon need to decide that they want this team to meet and  hopefully exceed the standard set by Portland, Seattle, Toronto, Kansas City, otherwise nothing changes.  You want me to renew... this would be a start.

We need to see a lot of new faces next year, both in the FO and on the team.  Shalrie will likely leave and if he does it's a shame but understandable.  There are not many players here that I want to see next year, the squad needs to be blown up other than a handful of them. If we see the same players that at most are riding the bench for other MLS teams as starting players next year then I have no interest in renewing.  If we plan on rebuilding with draft picks I have no interest in renewing.  If we rebuild with way past their expiration date European players I have no interest in renewing. 

I am not alone.  This is why many will not renew, it is also a path to get those people to reconsider but only if this organization is smart enough to see that.  It is likely that I will not renew, that doesn't mean I will stop supporting the team, or even stop going to games.  It is incredibly easy to get a free extra ticket on the plaza before a game and I will most likely do that.  The best way to send a message to this team is not renewing your tickets, they need to be hurt in their wallet, just as they have hurt us in ours.  Please give us a reason, we really do want to give you our money but this abusive relationship needs to end or we're out.

Talk to us the week before the season starts and we'll see if you've even remotely done a good enough job...

Shalrie Done in New England?

Well in Revs-land nothing good can last for ever... Shortly after the announcement we saw this tweet from Shalrie Joseph regarding the DP signing of Milton Caraglio:

Damn damn damn.... sigh... moving on or retiring we're not sure but this is a blow to the team indeed.

Quality Of Life Index: 2011 Season 50%

The Season So Far

Draw vs. LA Galaxy
Win vs. DC United
Draw vs. Portland
Draw vs. Vancouver
Loss vs. Real Salt Lake
Loss vs. Houston
Win vs. Sporting KC
Loss vs. Chivas
Tie vs. Colorado
Win vs. Vancouver
Loss vs. San Jose
Loss vs. Sporting KC
Loss vs. LA Galaxy
Loss vs. Dallas
Loss vs. NYRB
Tie vs. Toronto
Tie vs. Chicago
Loss vs. Seattle


So in the last QoL, we stated that we thought the team was better than last year.  We still think that is true however everyone else is also better than last year for the most part, which leaves us second to last in the Eastern conference and in single table we're 3rd from the bottom.  If MLS had relegation we're West Ham (I already support one West Ham I rather not support two).  We're saying it now, the season is a loss, let's use the summer transfer window to start working on the team for 2012,which brings us to a question for another post...is Steve Nicol the man for the job?  3 points for a win, 0 points for a tie, -3 for a loss. MINUS 18 (NYRB is +3, LA is +21)

Shalrie Called up for Gold Cup, Stays with Revs

The Revs captain got called up for the Gold Cup to play for his native Grenada but declined opting to stay with the Revs.  It's moves like this that show why he is the captain and it makes up considering the pre-season shenanigans, ultimately we didn't do much to make it worth it but what would have happened if he had gone? PLUS 10

Perovic out for season

[DELETED DUE TO FOUL LANGUAGE -TEAMOPS] MINUS 25

Michael we hardly knew ya  

The Revs waived 18 year old, Nigerian midfielder Michael Augustine.  Did anyone not see this coming?  Another failed African adventure, but at least we cut the poor guy lose before it went on for too long. EVEN

Dabo still out

Again did anyone not see this coming? MINUS 5

What's up Guy?

I like this signing purely for being able to make headers like that.  The Revs signed Ryan Guy for St. Patrick's in Ireland.  Guy seems to be a replacement for Augustine, but unlike Augustine he's actually seen some playing time.  We don't have enough information yet to form a solid opinion but hey anything has to be an improvement at this point.... right? PLUS 5

Seriously, Don't hold your breath on a DP

Kyle McCarthy reports that Steve Nicol says the hunt for a DP is still on, and that's the bright side.  The dark side?

"I'd love to tell you that we're almost done, but we're not"-Steve Nicol

This should be done by now, so much for getting one or two in the off-season, can't believe we fell for that line. MINUS 10

Fortgate

Well we hopefully don't need to go into this one too much (if we do, shame on you, but you can update yourself here).  This has been a PR disaster for the Revolution and has surely set back supporters culture in New England quite a bit.  Now over a week out from the incident we are seeing that this isn't just about one event but has become a tipping point for fan frustrations with the Kraft family and the running (ruining?) of soccer in the region.  We still have a few varying reports on arrests but it seems that there were less than originally reported, that being said we still witnessed multiple people being taken away by Foxborough Police than COO Brian Bilello reported in his post on the teams Facebook.  The silver lining? The amount of support that has come out for The Fort from around the world, one should never underestimate the power of soccer supporters. MINUS 1500 (approximate seats of The Fort)

Final Thoughts...

It can't really get worse than this... can it?

OVERALL: MINUS 1543
LAST QoL: PLUS 17 (+/- 5)

An Open Letter Regarding the 2011 Season

Dear Steve Nicol, Mike Burns, Brian Bilello, Jonathan Kraft, Robert Kraft, Kraft Sports Group, and most importantly the fans and supporters of this team,

Aw, S#!t not again...

It has been a interesting season to say the least up to this point, in both good ways and bad ways.  There was a prospect of interesting things happening, the signings of two players with a great pedigree, Didier Domi and Ousmane Dabo.  The signing of an exciting striker in the form of Rajko Lekic.  The Revs announced a shirt sponsor and were able to acquire Benny Feilhaber.  On the bad side our record is currently 3-6-4, 3 wins in 13 matches.  The team has not scored a goal in the run-of-play since April 23rd.

We've needed offensive help for a while (years?) and we finally got some however Lekic is struggling.  This lone striker formation is not getting him the ball and therefore he is not scoring. Lekic's confidence must be in the trash can at this point, we need to put someone up top to help him out. When the Revs took on LA  a few weeks ago the attack looked much better once Schilawski was brought into the game.  The current "4-3-3" formation, really a 4-5-1 is not working and it's time to try something new, the defense is surely improved and possession has gotten a little better but we are not scoring and we are not winning.

What happened to Dube? Dube went on a tear during the USOC play-in game vs. DC United, doesn't he deserve a chance? Why has a former starter (although purely because we didn't have anyone else) now been benched? Further on the attack front is what happened to Stolica, loaned to FC New York he's disappeared. He's still on our books, although per league rules we don't know if his salary still affects the cap space or not, and it might be worth bringing him back and pairing him with Lekic.  Stoli seems to have gotten a bad rap this season and we're not quite sure why. 

Benny Feilhaber was a gift from the soccer gods and yet it appears that he can't help right this ship and now he looks extremely frustrated in his new home.  Marko Perovic is now gone for the entire season with the outlook on our attack improving now looking grim.  This brings us to another issue, injuries.

Why is it that over the past few seasons that we seem to have multiple players out, key starters, with nagging injuries over long periods of time?  I have not looked into other teams and what their injury situations have been but ours just seems ridiculous.  They seem to be the same type, strains and sprains. Our trainers and medical staff must now be brought into question.  This track record is unacceptable and it's time to stop chalking it up to bad luck. Maybe it is the medical and training staff, they need to be evaluated and it needs to be determined if they are doing their jobs a) to the best of their ability and b) to the standards that these type of jobs require in professional sports and top flight soccer.  Also we must look at the fact that this team practices on grass yet plays on FieldTurf, these are not the same no matter what anyone says.  One only needs to see that sod was laid down on top of the FieldTurf for this weekends US vs. Spain friendly.  Are potential signings going to start to worry about coming here and playing on this surface?  Do they already?  We have heard offhand from current players that they do not like playing on it and that it doesn't feel right, Perovic being one of them.  As long as the Patriots don't want to have real grass this situation is not going to change, but maybe training and conditioning needs to be better suited to deal with the plastic grass.

You guys haven't learned from me...

We seriously need to look at the player acquisition strategy as well.  Domi and Dabo have been solid players in their time, but now they are being paid around $200k each and have spent more time on the trainers table than playing, they cannot even be considered starters.  The Revs desperately need to bring in a striker and a right midfelder/winger during this next transfer window, however given this teams track record of signing during windows and bringing in international talent we are worried. Perovic seems to be one of if not the only real success, and he's currently sitting with his leg elevated wth ice on it watching TV.  Can this team's staff really go out and get the type of players we need? Can they sign people who are not aging and on the down slope of their careers? Can they sign players that are not injury prone?

This team needs an strong influx of talent to improve, sorry guys but that's just the way it is and if it's not obvious you aren't looking hard enough.  This team had quite a bit of work done to it in the off season, an unprecedented amount of cap space, and we brought in defensive players and seemed to think our problems were solved.  This team is clearly not what we expected it to be and the disappointment is now coming to the surface.  What happened to our 1-2 DPs?  

"This team hasn't performed the way we wanted it this year, and in talking to ownership, their priority is not only getting better but they want to get better quickly. In talking about it, it was very clear they understand that there might be things that might take some time to do, and they wanted to think of ways that we could get better very quickly.  So frankly, what we decided on is we are going to be looking bring in a Designated Player this off season.''  -Brian Bilello

For 2 consecutive seasons we've needed a player that could finish in the attacking third and we have not seen that player come in, Lekic might be that guy but only if we can get the ball at his feet.  The team made major upgrades at 5 our of 11 positions and yet the performance has not improved all that much.

So where does this lead the 2011 New England Revolution?  Will we not make the playoffs for 2 years in a row?  It sad to think that we have to ask the question already at this point in the season, however by the end of this month we will have reached the halfway point.  The time is soon upon this team where peoples jobs will and must be seriously questioned.  Has Nicol lost the locker room? Does Burns have any idea what he's doing? Do both of them truly know how to go out and find difference makers? Nicol came to this team inheriting a great core of players but now all we have left is Shalrie and Reis, and Nicol/Burns have yet to prove that they can rebuild a core.

What is the team going to do to fix this current situation? Are the equipped to do so properly and if so do they know how to do it?  The past few years seem to point to no, they don't know how to or are not equipped to do so properly.  The team has to show it's fans that they realize that there is a problem and that they know changes are need, but at the same time actions speak louder than words.  We have heard a lot of words but not seen them supported by actions.  This team needs to figure out where it is going and how it is going to be able to compete in this league, the level of play is progressing rapidly but the team does not seem able to keep up.

Uhhh, it's supposed to be league "parity" not "parody"

The Revs have NYRB away this Friday, and then 2 struggling teams, Toronto and Chicago, next week.  If this team comes out of the next three games without 3 points we are indeed in very serious trouble. The season isn't over yet and a win streak can change the attitude of both the fans and the team, but that needs to happen and needs to happen soon.  The real question is will that be enough?  A band-aid is not going to fix what seem to be repeated problems over the course of the last few seasons.  The stewardship of this team and this sport by Jonathan and Robert Kraft in this region is questionable at best.  We realize the FO has it's finger on the pulse of the fans and supporters but do the Krafts? Do they truly understand what is going on and what has been going on with their team and their fans over the past few years?  There was almost a fan revolt last year that was put down by the team turning things around, albeit briefly, unfortunately there seems to be a similar problem simmering again.

This team needs changes to be made and if they are not and do not happen soon I fear what will happen to this team and it's fans.  Many of the most hopeful of this teams fans are seeing their optimism wane.  The team and current staff should be given until the end of the transfer window to make things happen.  If not the fans and supporters will have to stand up and demand changes from this team, although they may not even give them that long.  I for one propose that the leaders of the supporters groups and prominent fans demand a meeting with Jonathan and Robert Kraft, I do not think it is likely that they will be given an audience with Bob but it is worth a shot. I mean let's face it the NFL still might not play and that is where KSG's priorities are, not with the kickball team. This team is in danger and it's time that we get them back to the level and the position that the fans truly deserve, because without the fans the team is nothing, the fans are what makes the team possible and the fans need to hold the leadership of this organization responsible if the team stagnates or falls.


"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -Albert Einstien


Sincerely ,
          The Drug Is Football

Uh Oh Spaghettios...Perovic Out For Season

Well... there goes our attack, 'Serb'd' by the Turfmonster.  New England Revolution midfielder/striker Marko will be out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery today on his left knee.  He is expected to be out of action for 6-9 months and has been placed on the season ending injury list.  Perovic had his left ACL and medial meniscus repaired at Mass. General Hospital.

The amount and frequency of injuries on this team is getting ridiculous and there has to be more to it than just bad luck.  Is it FieldTurf? Poor training/trainers? Poor stretching and practice routines?  Our guess is d. all of the above. These same stories have been playing out repeatedly over the past few years, a lot may have to do with aging players but Perovic isn't 'old'.  If we can't keep young guys healthy and in good shape how are we supposed to keep the likes of Jankauskus, Dabo, Domi, etc in good shape?  Sure it may have just been an ill fated play during the game, but it did happen on our lovely FieldTurf.  One thing we know for sure, our best attack option is no out for the rest of the year (sounds sadly familiar doesn't it?), Benny is still M.I.A. and who knows about Dabo, at least Shalrie decided to stay with the team rather than joining up with Grenada for Gold Cup.  The transfer window opens soon and boy... Nicol and Burnsie better be pretty damn active.

There's no Fail in Feilhaber...

It's official, the New England Revolution have officially signed Benny Feilhaber. This is a huge addition to the Revs and will solidify a shaky midfield for sure.  Word is that he will join the team for training friday and will be available to play this Saturday against Sporting KC.As of right now we know of no injuries, I mean seriously no abductor or quad injuries on a new sigining?  That in itself is incredible (knock on wood). 

We are guessing that this signing is going to eliminate the possibility of the Revs signing a DP during the summer window as cap space must be getting tight. We think there was about $1 million in cap space at the beginning of the season, we guess that some of the new salaries are as follows: Dabo $225k, Domi $200k, Lekic $300k, Feilhaber $400k.  Allocation money may have been used  to pay down the salary cap hit of some of these contracts but since the league and the Revs like to hang out behind the iron curtain when it comes to money we aren't 100% sure where our cap stands.

This was obviously a no-brainer for the Revs, not signing him or trading him away would have been blasphemous considering the needs and shape this team is in.  The team was in the right place at the right time to be able to sign a difference maker.  A midfield including Feilhaber, Shalrie and hopefully a soon healthy Dabo has the potential to be one of the best in MLS.  Feilhaber could be the missing link in what the Revs have needed to turn the team around. We're looking forward to seeing the new Benny and the Revs...

Quality Of Life Index: Pre-Season

Yes yes y'all it's time for another Quality Of Life post, we take a look at the pre-season goings on an arbitrarily assign value to said goings on.

Pat Phelan Re-signs

Some people love him some people hate him, but nonetheless he is back this year.  He is an excellent athlete and plays with great heart but we're not quite so sure that it's enough in today's MLS.  Phelan was a starter last year but we are guessing he will be coming in off the bench this year due to the arrival of Ousmane Dabo. EVEN



Ousmane Dabo Joins The Revs

We like this signing, really we do.  Dabo's experience at top levels in Europe, Man City, Lazio, is a welcome addition to a very young team. Dabo will hopefully help out with possession and distribution of the ball from the midfield and we look forward to seeing him do his thing...

...notice the 'hopefully' and 'look forward', Dabo has been injured pretty much since he got here, we've expressed these concerns when he was signed and well he hasn't had much time at all to train with the team and get used to his new teammates.  We hope that this is only a speed bump but we are concerned.  Dabo will not be available for our season opener against LA Galaxy, maybe we'll get to see him the following weekend against DC United.  So in the past we have given a big/good signing somewhere around a 10 but this injury and the fact that he hasn't had much preseason time is a worry. PLUS 5

Revs Pick Up Argentinian Franco Coria

Ok we're not sure about this one to be honest, we have picked up a lot of defensive players so picking up another defender seems a bit over the top especially with the fact that we have not signed anyone to help with the attack.

That being said we are glad that the Revs have gotten on to the South American bandwagon that MLS is driving right now.  The terms of the deal are also appealing as Coria joins the team on a loan with the option to buy.  So we're willing to give the kid a chance. We're not sure where he fits in yet to Nicol's plans but we'll see soon enough. PLUS 5

Something For Nothing...

Ok so I'm done with the Right Said Fred references... The Revs picked up the rights to Fred in the re-entry draft process and traded those rights away, back to DC which is where he came into MLS in the first place.  We got DC's second round draft pick for the 2013 SuperDraft, not a bad move.  PLUS 2

Joseph And Alston Like To Party

Perhaps a but too much... You all should know about this by now.  Joseph gets arrested after being evicted from his hotel, Alston was apparently with Joseph when the shenanigans occurred, both got sent home.  Joseph is still talking to the league and other than being sent home there have been no disciplinary actions taken as of yet against either player.  No matter how you view this incident it wasn't good for anyone.  MINUS 10

Pre-Season Matches

2-0 Win over UCF
2-0 Win over US U-17
1-0 Win over FC Dallas
2-1 Win over Columbus Crew
1-3 Loss to Columbus Crew
1-3 Loss to Houston Dynamo

Alright so we're not sure what to think about all this 4 wins total 2 of them against MLS teams, 2 losses to MLS teams.  We could only watch the Houston game and it was disappointing to watch, that being said we also were missing a lot of starters, Alston, Reis and our key new signings, Domi, Dabo and Coria due to injury.  I think there are a lot of questions left and the preseason hasn't answered many.  The multiple injuries of which there are a few hammy or quad related problems are sending up red flags.  These sort of injuries seem to be a common theme on this team and we are really starting to wonder why. Things seemed strong in the beginning but didn't look so hot towards the end... EVEN

Revs Re-sign Boggs, Murray and Sign 3 Draft Picks

We didn't get to see much of Boggs last year to to a season ending concussion... and as we all know around here you don't want to mess with those.  Murray is a back up keeper and well that's that.  In addition to those the Revs offered contracts to F/MF Ryan Kinne, F Alan Koger and MF Andrew Sousa. PLUS 5

Is This Another African Project Or A True Difference Maker?

The Revs signed Nigerian midfielder Michael Augustine, 18, as challenger to Nyassi.  We know pretty much nothing about this kid but Nicol tells us he has "bags of potential".  Our African signings don't have that great of a track record and well the last thing we need is another project, that's what draft picks are for, we need difference makers right now.  He may be a diamond in the rough or he might not.  We're calling this one EVEN.


Attack! The DP

So as a recap we were told the team would be looking for a Designated Player during the offseason... didn't happen.  Despite finding out that Fenerbache star Alex was close to coming to the Revs and despite finding out other deals were close but fell through we're not impressed, close only counts in horeshoes and hand grenades. 

The fact of the matter is this team desperately needs a attacking option, perhaps multiple attackign options.  We like the additions that have been made, but only if Domi and Dabo can stay healthy, but I'm not sure we have much hope for doing well in the playoff race if we do not get a top striker soon. It was a bout a 40 day pre-season... MINUS 40

Northeast Helping The Far East

So with the Earthquake/Tsunami/Nuclear disaster occurring in Japan Revolution supporter groups have stepped up to the plate to help out those in need.

The Midnight Riders are selling discounted tickets to the home opener and are donating $1 from every ticket sold to the Red Cross.  Go buy cheap tickets, drink some beer, watch some soccer and have a good time... all well helping out our friends in Japan.  
 
The Rebellion are raffling off a 2010 Revs training jersey autographed by the entire team and donating the money to the Red Cross as well.  You can get your raffle tickets from The Rebellion here.  

In additon to that we will be donating a portion of the proceeds from our viewing event at Church Boston to the Red Cross as well.

Revs fans doing a good deed... PLUS 10


So the Revs have gotten their best score to date so far on our QoL Index, now if only we could pick up a DP or at least a productive striker we may actually make it into positive numbers soon...

OVERALL: MINUS 23
LAST QoL: MINUS 103

Steve Nicol Answers Supporters Questions

Well ladies and gentleman, we decided to forgo the Motorhead concert tonight to cover the Revs supporters "Meet The Coach" event (actually I couldn't afford the Motorhead show....).  Steve Nicol met with members of the Midnight Riders, The Rebellion and this lone member of the Rev Army to answer their questions at the Phoenix Landing in Cambridge, Ma..  Instead of wrting some big long narrative we will present you with subjects and Nicol's comments on them... Enjoy there is some good stuff here... We'll start with the Designated Player issue...

Shalrie Don't Like It...

Wow Shalrie... wow... good job slick... no really... good job.  Getting arrested in your own hotel is hard to do.  I am no stranger to traveling for work and staying in hotels. I used to tour with with rock bands, crazy hotel parties were the norm,  never once did things escalate to people getting arrested or even getting thrown out by the hotel (well guests of said hotel). All of these parties had alcohol, many had some sort of illicit substance and in 1 or 2 instances of women of ill repute.  Getting thrown out of and arrested from your own hotel is a tough thing to do. I've also had my fair share of experiences with cops, somehow I've managed to not get arrested, generally not defying their requests works pretty well especially when you are yet to commit on offense, even if they are ridiculous and if the cop is on a power trip (what cop isn't on a power trip?).  Just remember this rule... DON'T PISS OFF COPS... not that hard.

UPDATE 2-JOSEPH ARRESTED : Shalrie Joseph and Kevin Alston Sent Home From Camp

UPDATE: Kyle McCarthy is reporting on twitter that according to a public record search Shalrie Joseph was arrested in Orlando for trespassing.  Shalrie tweeted yesterday that his reason for being sent home was "trust me it ain't that juicy." There is still no word on Kevin Alston's involvement in this situation. 

UPDATE 2: Boston Globe writer Frank Dell'Apa has a story in today's edition that states that Joseph was arrested at the teams hotel following a party.  Joseph was in a stairwell of the hotel having a conversation with someone and refused to go back to his room, an argument ensued and the director of hotel security was called. Read the full article here.

Details right now are not available however Revolution staff writer, Jeff Lemieux, posted on twitter earlier today:

"Shalrie Joseph and Kevin Alston were flown back to NE today because of disciplinary reasons. Both will miss rest of Orlando trip."

We have asked the Revolution for comment and will report any more details if and when they become available.

What Larentowicz's Comments Mean for Revolution Fans...

Jeff Larentowicz (Jack Dempsey/AP)

First and foremost hats off to Frank Dell'Apa from the Boston Globe for writing this article, it's seems that none of the Revolution writers have been willing to take shots at the organization but this article really sends a message to the Revolution FO.  Read it before reading on here... Jeff makes interesting comments on the morale of the team, treatment of players and how the organization operates.


“Teams have decisions to make on players and players have decisions to make for themselves they have to feel comfortable with,’’ Larentowicz said. “Over time, [the Revolution] weren’t doing right by their players. I watched a lot of talented players and friends go and a lot seemed unhappy who were still there. I was talking with Taylor Twellman the other day and we were wondering what would have happened if we had won one of those, would they have had the incentive to keep those teams together?"

“I was as close to signing as you can be but I just had a moment of clarity and decided not to at the last minute,’’ Larentowicz said. “I angered a few people by doing that. But it’s my right. The offer seemed good at first, in comparison to what I was making, but I knew I could be worth more. Then, the last months I was there it was clear they weren’t interested in finding my true value, they wanted a bargain or a price they were comfortable with.

“That’s the thing, they didn’t feel the need to re-sign players. In the end, contracts are controlled by the league and circumstances are controlled by the team. You have no freedom to move or negotiate. There was a lot of unhappiness on the team, but we had a core group and we could put that behind us.’’ (FDA/Boston Globe)

Jeff's candor confirms what many supporters have thought all along, the Revolution organization and Krafts are cheap and not willing to put in the money to make this team a true competitor.  The team has come up with many reasons why money was not spent or could not be but it is now painfully obvious that they have been feeding the fans the same lines over and over to try to appease us.  Well you have finally been caught Revs FO and Kraft family.   You apparently are too cheap to run this team properly and to hold on to good talent.

There has been an air of dissatisfaction from the players for a few years now, Shalrie Joseph made some interesting comments at the All-Star game alluding to not being happy with the Revolution organization. There is also this video from the Revs locker room a few years ago that alludes to both the fans and some of the players being unhappy with the Revolution. Shalrie states "We are going to be really disappointed if you guys don't come support me and the Revs, but I don't blame you guys anyway.   I know a lot of fans say they aren't coming back next year because of what the Revs are doing and I'm not surprised... it's a shame." Watch the full video below




Jeff goes onto speak about how it feels to be a Revs player in the shadow of the Patriots..

“It makes a ton of difference. You walk into a stadium every day and know it’s your place and you take precedence over everything else,’’ said Larentowicz.

“[In New England] we had a great practice field and locker room, but we were, rightfully so, second fiddle to [the Patriots]. Here, we have 25 practice fields and one which they keep absolutely pristine only for us. It’s all about us.’’ (FDA/Boston Globe) 

Well the evidence string is starting to come together and it become more obvious as time goes on that this organization is never going to rival what they have done out in Seattle, or what they have done up in Toronto or most importantly to us... what they have done in New York.  It's a shame to have gone from what was once one of the flagship teams of MLS to one of its biggest jokes.  FC Dallas was the biggest joke, but they even made it to the Cup final this year and had a record breaking 19 game unbeaten streak.

The Revolution and Krafts tell us all the time they care about the team and soccer and want us to do well, but actions speak louder than words and there have not been many actions.  Great you tell us all the time that you are looking to build us our own facility, great... believe it when we see it.  You tell us all the time that you are looking for the "right player" to be our DP, and now that you plan on signing a DP soon, great... we'll believe it when we see it.

Stop feeding us the same party lines around season ticket renewal pushes, we see through it and it's lame.  Tell us the truth, you may lose fans because of it, but at least for once you will not be feeding us the same old story and will actually show us some transparency and respect.  Revolution fans, it's time to demand more from this organization, the players deserve better and we deserve better.